A Star for Two

Many films have been made that deals with the subject of love between a man and a woman that endures the ravages of time. This one does not stand out, primarily due to lackluster direction. Compare it to Pierre Graniere Deferre's "Le chat" (The cat) or the American film "Wrestling Ernest Hemingway" and the film lacks the maturity of approach to the subject of geriatric love or love in the evening of one's life.

The film regales you primarily because of its fine performances: Quinn, Bacall, Aumont and Kedrova. Of course, much of the screen time is taken up by Quinn and Bacall. Quinn is convincing in the role of the once virile young man now aging and alone. Bacall fits the role of a woman of steadfast love. Both are lovely to watch on screen for their sheer screen presence considering their age. Aumont is unrecognizable as age has taken its toll on his physique. Kedrova's performance reminds you of her role in Zorba the Greek; one wonders if she could ever be markedly different in any film. Quinn's real life son plays the young Quinn in the black and white flashbacks.

The film's closing song by Charles Aznavour in English and French is like fine brandy at the end of a meal. This is not a French film or a Canadian film or an American film with its French locations and American actors. It exudes a distinct international flavor. Take a whiff.

I kept waiting for something to happen, but nothing ever happened. The people were not interesting. These folks had no passion, even though back in the day they had passion. The interspersed film clips showed that. The woman especially was passionless. You could see in his eyes that the passion might be lurking there, under the surface. But she was always so formal and boring, with no capacity for passion indicated at all. This story lacked vitality. The scenery was pretty, and the story line had potential. But it never came through with anything. Also, his overindulging in drink on the one occasion seemed quite out of character. And the title. Where did that come from? I keep having trouble remembering it, because it seems to have no relation to the story. A better title would be "No Stars for You".

Though I had never heard of this film before seeing it listed on a television guide, I decided to view it because of its cast.

Just the idea of seeing a movie with Lauren Bacall and Anthony Quinn was enough for me to get into this mature film. Their scenes together are precious as they remember their love affair and separation due to World War 2.

Supporting cast members of Aumont and Kedrova added to the pleasantness of the film.

While watching the childhood black and white flashbacks I noticed that the young man portraying Anthony Quinn had a striking resemblance to the older Quinn. Only when the credits were shown did I realize that it was indeed Quinn's son, Francesco. Though the young woman also resembled Lauran Bacall, there was no family relationship between them.

If you want to watch a good old-fashioned romantic film, watch "A Star For Two."